Une vs. Board of Education - Europe
by Darkwood
Summary: What if someone decided to sue the Preventers, a government funded institution, for employing underaged students, and taking away from school time? Lady Une must defend her organization against the legal slurs of the School Board; Duo, Heero, and Wufei mu
1. I.

Une vs. Board of Education - Europe

Two young men prepare for a long day. They act as mirrors for one another; they act as judge and jury. Beyond the door loom both the media and the scrutiny they avoided all of their lives until recently. Beyond the wooden door stalks the assassin to their lifestyle. The two brush shoulders and straighten ties before pronouncing, with a slight nod or gesture, the approval of the other's outfit.

Without a word they head to the door, pull on stony faces and turn the doorknob to plunge into the sea of flash bulbs and tape recorders. The door locks solidly with three bolts upon their departure. 

From the milling crowd one still face easily comes into view, a face containing sparking, passionate eyes and strong bones, a face awaiting the pair. The two young men cross to the stern faced person and salute crisply, receiving an answering salute before the cold faced figure turns to lead them away. 

A limousine outside waits to drive the three stoic people to the courthouse after a light breakfast of bagels and coffee from the coffee shop on the corner. The tapes and cameras follow the three people down to the front of the building and pile out of the front lobby, the housing area latching behind them. 

The hard faced figure allows the young men into the car before her, and turns around to face the crowd before slowly climbing into the black automobile. "Lady Une, won't you give us some statement?"

"Chief of Preventers, will you give us your own views on the hearing today?"

The woman ignores the attempts at arousing her attention and closes the door firmly behind herself. One young man leans over his knees and puts his head in his hands; the other turns to the angry woman and looks helplessly at her as she shakes her head. The young man puts a rough hand on the other boy's shoulder and pats it once.

"I am so sorry."

"You have been forgiven."

"And Wufei?"

"He will meet us at the courthouse."

The limousine pulls into the parking lot of the coffee shop, and the boy with the helpless look on his face exits the car with a small piece of paper. The woman reaches out to touch the anguished boy's shoulder.

"Duo, it was bound to happen sooner or later with the three of you working actively, and Trowa more covertly. I am glad that the controversy has waited this long to be announced."

"But I ruined the chances of the Preventers in the future."

"Stop that sort of attitude, Duo," the other young man admonishes while handing the food to his fellow passengers. "We do not know who was responsible for turning us in. It could have been both of us, for all that matter."

"But it was my fault, I just know it."

"I won't have that talk from you, Duo, you are a subordinate. I make that an order." Visibly steeling himself, the young man nods. "Which is my cup, Heero?"

Heero hands him the proper Styrofoam cup and a donut. Une reaches out a hand and receives her own breakfast. The three eat in silence. "I do not believe that it will be necessary, today, for either of you to testify, but should it become necessary, watch what you say because this judge will take everything you say – every metaphor, every figure of speech, as he wants to take it. Speak very plainly, and do not attempt to win the judge if we have Errant. I know this will be going to trial, most likely, but I do not wish to turn the judge against us so quickly if the same judge today is assigned to our trial."

Duo and Heero nod. 

"We have arrived, Lady Une."

The door is opened and the Duo and Heero climb out, lending a hand to their superior, "Thank you."

The three pile out of the limo and fight the sea of cameras and tape recorders to get into the courthouse, to find Wufei waiting quietly outside a dark paneled wooden door. He stands as the other three approach, and takes the Styrofoam cup acquiescently from Duo's extended hand.

"We have Judge Garret."

Lady Une does not respond, but drinks the end of her coffee and deposits the waste in the trash receptacle. "I hadn't hoped for such luck."

"Neither had I," Heero comments, seeing the slump in Duo's shoulders. "We have a better chance now."

"That we do," Wufei remarks, following Heero's gaze to Duo.

A fourth person walks up to them, a man dressed in a black suit and gray tie, with his hair brushed back and a briefcase in one hand. "I suppose that the three of you are, pardon, the defendants?"

"Yes, sir, we are," Une says politely to the man, "may I ask your name?"

"My name is Harvey Greenwood, I'm your public defender."

The three young men remain silent.

"We did not request public representation," Une replies.

"I'm here to offer my services as a lawyer to someone in need, Miss Chief of the Preventers Une, and on the scale of this case, I believe that my services will be necessary, and very helpful."

Lady Une considers, folding her arms over her chest and glancing back at the three young men behind her for a moment, in calculation of the odds. "I assume that you've looked over the documentation for the case."

"That's against fifth amendment rights, Miss Une."

"I repeat my previous question, Mister Greenwood."

"Between the two of us, I chose this case because it is the only one dealing with actual legal proceedings, anymore."

"I really don't think that we have time to go into depth on the ramifications of our case before the hearing, Mister Greenwood."

"Oh, but that's just it, the hearing has been moved back to two o'clock because Judge Garret has been detained on personal matters at the hospital."

"Then I suppose we should find a council room, shouldn't we?"  
"If you feel I'm competent after hearing what I have to advise you on, I'm sure that we can work together."

"Lead the way," Une says.

"Right through here," Harvey leads her onward, attempting to ignore the intense stares of the three young men. Once inside, he ushers them all to seats, and opens a book to a pre-marked page. "The law states that, 'all minors of impressionable mentality must attend schooling to prepare them for the real world,' and also, 'every child has the right to a free and equal education, provided for by the country.' We have to prove that these young men, and women? You do have some young women on the payroll, do you not?"

"Yes."

"I suppose you've comprised a listing of those people who are under the legal age to work full time in the service of the government?"

"I have. It is not as extensive as it would be, were I to list everyone underage working for the Preventers. Most of our operatives are not on full-time status."

"How many do we have that are full time?"

"To date? Currently there are three," Une gestures to the young men seated to her right. "The two young women working full time is also under the employ of Vice Foreign Minister Darling."

"You've seen to all of this yourself, haven't you?"

"If you're insinuating that I recruit my operatives from high schools, you are wrong. If you're insinuating that I've coerced these youths into my employ, you are also incorrect. I merely accepted their applications due to their qualifications."

"Do you have a copy of the applications?"

"Those are confidential."

"They'll get an injunction, calling for them."

"That is allowable, but I cannot allow the information to be released without a specific court order, which must meet very stringent specifications, set out in the law."

"What do you mean?"

"Look up law enforcement. Article 23, section 5 – read it."


	2. II.

Title: Une v. The Board of Education - Europe  
Rating: G  
Part: II  
_Author's Note at the end on the progress of this story._

"_'Anti-terrorist organizations funded by the government shall be exempt from providing employee records except during trials having to do with the rulings concerning the decisions of operatives.'_ This doesn't help you."

"The case has to do exactly with, 'the legality of allowing minors to work for governmental agencies,' if I am correct."

"I'll trust that you are, Miss Une. So it will be against the constitution to call up your applications or pay records, correct?" At her nod he continues on, "You left the other names off of this list because…"

"The suit is against my employment of full time operatives, Mister Greenwood, not against hiring minors."

"You have to know that the state will call up the 'harmful risk and danger clause,'" Greenwood says intensely.

Lady Une stares evenly at him.

"Amendment 12, _'No minor shall be exposed to undue harmful risk and danger, including but not limited to mortal danger of any sort,'_" Heero recites.

"They might as well hit us with the fact that the three of you are living by yourselves," Une mutters, looking down at her hands. "Mister Greenwood, are you prepared to defend our side of the case as we wish it to be defended?"

"I have to say, Miss Une, some of your methods, those I've seen here this morning, leave me in more than a little doubt as to what defending your case will entail. I want to defend your case, because I believe that these young men are doing their civic duty in defending the nation, but I do not wish to step over the line of the law."

"Rest assured that if you were to defend this case no laws would be broken on our part, and we would not expect you to break any for us."

"Then I feel that I am prepared to defend this case fully and to the best of my ability. You've got yourself a lawyer, Miss Une."

The three young men suddenly stand, in unison.

"What?"

"If it's all right with you, ma'am, we've got to go to the bathroom."

Lady Une looks over her shoulder. Wufei, who spoke, looks at her evenly. "You three stay out of trouble, and you're free to go."

*

The door closes behind them and Duo heads quickly to the rest room. Wufei goes over to the window, and Heero blocks the door. Duo turns on a faucet high and starts to sob. "Honestly, Duo, you might want to learn to contain yourself a little better," Wufei snaps. Heero glares at him a moment.

"It isn't his fault G was never as thorough as our doctors were." Heero replies with a dark tone in his voice, warning Wufei to back off. "Someone's coming."

The three of them go over to the urinals and stand far enough apart not to look like they are planning something. A judge enters and moves to the sink. Duo rolls his eyes as the man checks his face and smoothes his hair.

Wufei even smirks a little as the man dramatically shakes the water from his hands and heads out the door.

* * *

_Author's Note: This story is taking a lot longer to develop than I thought it would. As to the reply to the first chapter with comments about the legal age to drop out of school, remember, this is fanfic not real life. I'm taking the liberty's allowed, and I'm rewriting the constitution according to what I think would happen to it through the changes that've happened due to the advances in technology and the change of the atmosphere of the story. The next part should be up in a few days, or a few weeks... depends on how quickly it comes. _


	3. III

Title: Une v. The Board of Education - Europe  
Rating: G  
Part: III  
_Author's Note at the end on the progress of this story._

The three young men reenter the council room and find Lady Une and Mister Greenwood looking civilly across the table at one another. "So you're back," Lady Une remarks quietly as the three retake their seats behind her.

"Yes, ma'am," Wufei says quietly as they settle in as comfortably as possible into the chairs. "Is there anything we've missed?"

"Nothing of great importance," she says dismissively. "Sally will arrive shortly with a few documents for Mister Greenwood to go over, if you all will step out into the hall and meet her." Duo is the only one of the three young men not put together enough to give their commander a skeptical gaze. In response the Chief of Preventers gives a pointed look to Heero and Wufei, lifting one brow.

"Yes ma'am," Duo speaks up for the first time in Mister Greenwood's presence. Greenwood, in turn, looks over inquiringly at the long haired young man. Duo ignores the querulous gaze as he and his two coworkers stand and file out of the room into the hallway once more.

"They certainly seem fit for their jobs, Chief of Preventers," Greenwood remarks to her, his voice a little skeptical. "Can I ask about their military background?"

"Une, my full title will take far too much time out of the cramped schedule we have," she responds, "and the three of them have no military background, or not in the sense that you mean."

"Oh?" Greenwood leans forward slightly, adjusting his glasses on his face.

Lady Une hesitates a moment, making a swift decision about the middle aged public defender before her, hazel eyes narrowing slightly to take in his neat appearance. After a moment of such intent scrutiny, when Greenwood does not appear to feel nervous or uncomfortable, a sure sign, she'd found, that someone was being honest, she comes to her final decision, and speaks in a low voice, "Not at all. None of the defendants were members of a military organization during the wars."

"They were activists against the war then?"

"No," she continues quietly, "they were Gundam Pilots."

*

Outside three young men sit quietly in the hallway, all the spitting image of silent dignity, nonchalance, and carefully checked emotion. The traffic of the hallway flows around them, a single figure moving close to them and stopping a few feet away.

"Wufei?" her voice is low and she glances around absently, as though afraid she's being followed by someone or something. "Lady Une told me to meet up with you and that you'd show me to her."

He stands wordlessly and nods to Sally, taking in the black leather briefcase she carries, for the moment looking more like an aide to their mutual employer than a field doctor and Preventers' operative, special class. "This way," he says quickly, turning and starting down the hallway towards the council room that Lady Une and Greenwood are seated in.

Sally nods and follows Wufei off, leaving Heero and Duo to sit in silence. After a short pause, Heero gets to his feet. Duo, blinking out of his stupor, stands as well, a muted, "What are you doing, Heero?" as he follows his partner down the hallway.

"I'm not going to sit around and do nothing, Duo. It's barely even eleven o'clock yet, just sitting around doing nothing is useless."

"Ok," Duo replies, shoving his hands nervously into the pockets of his dress pants, the ends of his jacket bunching up around his forearms. "But Heero, what are we going to do?"

"We're going to look up just what we're being charged with, and what they're finding fault with the Preventers over."

"Oh," Duo says, a drop in his voice even in that short syllable. Heero casts a sideways glance at his partner and notices Duo's continued dejected behavior. For a moment a frown creases his face and then he turns his attention to the direction they are heading.

* * *

_A/N: I'm still having some trouble with the direction of this story, and on top of that, I'm about to get into the legal jargon section of the story, when Heero and Duo go look up what the exact charges being made against him are. So part four might take a while, unless I focus more on Sally and Wufei's meeting with Une and Greenwood in the council room. I'm also working on several other stories so... bear with me._


End file.
